David Alan Emerick

David Alan Emerick, 68, of Antioch, California, passed away unexpectedly on May 6th 2024 in Henrico, Virginia. Dave was born November 11, 1955 in Pasadena, California. After graduating high school in 1973, Dave enlisted in the Army, spending a better part of his 4 years stationed in Germany. Upon returning stateside, Dave began his eclectic career path. His favorite by far was as an Assistant Engineer on a commercial tuna boat, fishing the waters from San Diego to Panama to Bangkok and many ports in-between. His path continued working with foundation trenching, a boat brightwork specialist, HVAC technician to owning his own company, DE Heating and Air, prior to his retirement. Dave was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Compassionate and generous, always willing to give a helping hand. Dave was methodical and meticulous with any project that came his way - he measured it at least twice and probably read the directions twice too. Dave enjoyed fishing, hunting, scuba diving, and traveling. Scuba diving and traveling went hand in hand and Dave enjoyed many beautiful tropical places. Some of his favorites include: Bonaire, Cozumel, St. Thomas, and Roatan. Dave met his wife, Kathy, in San Diego in 1981 in between fishing trips. They married in 1985 and built an adventurous life together in Northern California. Dave was preceded in death by his brother, James Emerick, and parents, Lee and Patricia Emerick. Dave is survived by his wife of 39 years, Katherine Emerick; daughter, Carly Ward and husband, Joel; granddaughter, Emersyn of Henrico, VA; brother, Ken Emerick of La Mesa, CA; brother-is-law, Bill Franks of Walnut Creek, CA; brother and sister-in-law, Greg and Kathy Franks of Oakley, CA. A Celebration of Dave’s life will be planned at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a veterans' organization such as help.dav.org or the American Heart Association www.heart.org.